Last month, Nicki Minaj was forced to cancel her New Orleans leg of her Pink Friday 2 tour due to illness. As promised, the rapper, who rose to prominence after being discovered by New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne and signing to his Young Money Entertainment label, will return May 8 to the Smoothie King Center and previously issued tickets via Ticketmaster will be honored. Some tickets are still available for sale. The last time Minaj stopped here was in 2022 when she headlined the July 2022 edition of Essence Music Festival.

Minaj’s tour has been replete with the hot pink imagery of her album’s theme, featuring nail salons where fans can get nail art curated by the rapper and various photo op stations. Various members of Bravo’s Real Housewives franchises have been posing backstage with the artist, including most of the cast of the Potomac series. Recently, Minaj took to Instagram to show off flowers sent to her from Beyoncé, whom she has collaborated with on two songs (“Feeling Myself” and “Flawless”). The Cowboy Carter artist congratulated Minaj on her tour and her innovative nail art. For those who are interested, Minaj’s press on packs can be purchased here. 

As so many other artists have had to reinvent ways in which to add to their revenue streams, Minaj has also announced a collaboration with sustainable and Earth-friendly sneaker brand Løci. Emmanuel Eribo, Løci’s CEO, states that Minaj, has taken active role beyond design by becoming part owner and collaborator and is dedicated to fostering unique talent and supporting Black-owned businesses. Later this Spring, she will launch 11 of her own designs, some featuring her signature pink color scheme.

In a twist of irony, one time friend and collaborator of Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, announced days after Minaj’s New Orleans cancellation that she would be stopping in the city for her “Hot Girl Summer Tour.” “Hot Girl Summer” was released with Megan and Minaj and American singer Ty Dolla Sign in August of 2019 but Minaj’s one-time friend went on collaborate with her rival, Cardi B. In 2024, Minaj released a diss trick slamming the Houston-based rapper but received negative reviews.

Tickets for Minaj’s May 8 show are available at Ticketmaster.